HORACE GRANT 2024
NBA Basketballer
Oil on canvas
Horace Junior Grant Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for Michael Reinsdorf, the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Bulls.
SCOTTIE PIPPEN 2024
NBA All-Star Basketballer
Oil on canvas
Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
darcy moore 2023
Australian Rules Footballer
Oil on canvas
Darcy Moore is an AFL footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club. Moore has served as Collingwood premiership captain since 2023.
HUGH JACKMAN
2020
Actor
Oil on canvas
Hugh Jackman AC is the ultimate triple threat – actor, singer and dancer. Best known for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men movies, Jackman grew up in Sydney and turned down a role in Neighbours to focus on honing his skills at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Soon after graduating in 1994 he scored a role in the ABC television drama, Correlli. He won a Tony Award for his performance as Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz (2003–2004), a Golden Globe for his role as Jean Valjean in the film Les Misérables (2012) and a Grammy for The Greatest Showman (2017).
'There's a look in Hugh's eyes, it’s a moment in a conversation with someone he knows and trusts. It's not a GQ photo shoot. There's a love and intimacy, a side of Hugh that’s not the showman, it’s not Wolverine. I want people to walk in, see the portrait of Hugh and feel a real connection', the artist Vincent Fantauzzo
ASHER KEDDIE
2018
Actor/Producer
This Is Not An Act, Oil on canvas
This work, a portrait of the artist’s wife, Asher Keddie, was selected as a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
Asher Keddie is a multi-award winning Australian actress. She is known for her leading roles in television including Offspring, Strife, The Cry, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Nine Perfect Strangers, and upcoming projects in 2024 Fake and Plum.
michael gudinski
2017
Music Promoter
Oil on linen
‘‘If I were to describe Michael exactly as I see him, it would sound like I made it all up, because his character, his personality, is so big and charismatic. Michael has created a massive empire through music management and promotion. With his insatiable passion and drive to celebrate Australian artists, he has helped to shape the careers of some of the most iconic music stars in the world. However, what got me the most about Michael, was the respect and understanding of the artists he works with. When he talks about any one of these artists, there is true excitement, sensitivity, and a twinkle in his eye. His pride is big, and rightly so. This love he has for his job and the artist, is what I have tried to capture” – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
WAYNE BLAIR 2018
Actor/Director/Writer
Oil on canvas
Wayne Blair is an Australian writer, actor, and director. He was on both sides of the camera in Redfern Now, and directed the feature film The Sapphires. He played a prominent role in the 2021–2024 drama series Total Control and performed in recent projects including The New Boy and Extraction. He is the director of the upcoming ABC tv series, Plum.
‘Wayne’s life has always been a balancing act. From high level sports to indigenous dancing, he managed to fit in a marketing degree before pursuing his passion for film making as a highly acclaimed writer, director and actor. Wayne inspires, he leads and influences. He's hard-working, funny, and his conviction is unparalleled. His peers find these traits positive and infectious, which makes him arguably one of the most prolific artists of our time. He is a friend. One I feel honoured to have’ , the aritist Vincent Fantauzzo
amitabh bachchan 2012
Actor/Producer/Television Host
Oil on linen
Indian film actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades. Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema. So total was his dominance on the Indian movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director.
ASHER KEDDIE 2012
Actor/Producer
Love Face, Oil on linen
Vincent Fantauzzo won the 2013 Archibald Prize Peoples’ Choice Award for Love Face, a painting of his wife, Actress Asher Keddie.
''Sometimes I can be having a conversation with Asher and she can hit me with so many emotions, she doesn't even have to talk, just the change in her face,'' he says. ''That's why I think she is such a great performer. She can go from extreme stress to happiness, sadness, and it all happens in her face, second after second.”
NEALE DANIHER 2016
Oil on linen
AFL coach & player
“Neale Daniher AO played with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was later the coach of the Melbourne Football Club between 1998 and 2007, and also held coaching positions with Essendon, Fremantle and West Coast. Neale was diagnosed with Motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013 and is now known as a prominent campaigner for medical research. “I had no idea the impact Neale would have on me... listening to him is inspirational; his warmth and positivity are indescribable.” – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
ROBYN NEVIN 2011
Actor/Director/Stage Producer
Conversation, Pencil on paper
Described as ‘the complete actor’, Robyn Nevin has spent more than 50 years in front of the footlights. She is acknowledged as a major influence in Australian theatre as an actor, director and producer. Renowned for her remarkable stamina and described as passionate, complex, loyal and tenacious by colleagues, she has a relentless belief in the power and worth of theatre, and no inclination to stop performing.
Robyn Nevin received an AO in 2020 for her loyal service to the performing arts as an acclaimed actor and artistic director, and as a mentor and role model. The honour also recognises her work as artistic director of both the Sydney Theatre Company and the Royal Queensland Theatre.
BAZ LUHRMANN 2011
Film Director
Off Screen, Oil on linen
Fantauzzo's winning portrait of Luhrmann for the 2011 Doug Moran portrait prize is about intimacy: the director has his hands over his face in what Fantauzzo describes as a moment of deep vulnerability:
“He allowed that to be captured and painted; he supported it. It was so trusting for someone like Baz to do that, someone who's so protective about their emotions. Baz is human and vulnerable and sensitive and it doesn't all go over his head - and this was a moment he was really feeling it” - the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
BRANDON WALTERS 2099
Actor
Oil on linen
Vincent Fantauzzo won the Archibald Peoples’ Choice Award in 2009 for his depiction of Brandon Walters during the shooting of Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia. In the final days of the film shoot, they met for a series of sittings in Sydney, where Fantauzzo sketched Walters alone and with his parents. He took the sketches back to his studio in Melbourne to work on the final portrait.
BRANDON & FATHER 2009
Oil on linen
Brandon Walters became a star overnight when he appeared in Baz Luhrmann's film, Australia. The artist met the actor during the final days of filming for Australia after Luhrmann rang the artist to tell him about "this amazing kid.” At age six Walters was diagnosed with leukaemia but overcame the cancer after a year in hospital.
"He has already experienced a lot as a child, which I believe adds to his presence” - the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
Charles Blackman 2004, Artist (1928-2018)
Oil on linen
Charles Blackman was an acclaimed Australian figurative artist, working with the vernacular of urban Australian life. His Schoolgirls and Alice series stand out as some of the most well regarded works created by an Australian artist during the fifties. In the 1960’s Blackman was a signatory to the Antipodean Manifesto, an initiative of the critic Bernard Smith which sought to undermine the production of abstract painting.
Elizabeth Debicki 2012, Actor
Oil on linen
After attending the Victorian College of the Arts, Elizabeth made her feature film debut in A Few Best Men (2011). She appeared in The Great Gatsby (2013) for which she won the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Since then, Elizabeth has achieved great success on stage and screen in Australia and overseas. This work was included in the exhibition 30 Portraits 30 Days at the National Gallery of Victoria Studio in 2012.
Guy Pearce 2015, Actor
Oil on linen
Since making his first major film breakthrough in the1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Guy Pearce has achieved worldwide success as one of Australia’s most respected and acclaimed actors. Guy also has a lifelong passion for music and songwriting. He released his first album, Broken Bones, in November 2014. He released his second studio album The Nomad in 2018.
“We talked about change in life. Acknowledging the past, the rights and wrongs, and accepting them for their worth” the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
Heath Ledger 2008, Actor (1979-2008)
Oil on linen
“An artist is their own biggest critic. I had seen his eyes wander off or stare into the camera while doing interviews and wondered what he may have been thinking. Heath was under constant scrutiny, with so many demands made of him that he had to hold part of himself back and not give too much away. To paint him intimately like this was an honour” – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo.
Fantauzzo won the 2008 Archibald Prize Peoples’ Choice Award for his portrait of Heath Ledger. With the blessing of Heath Ledger’s family, the artist then donated the artwork to the Art Gallery of NSW.
Mural 2014
Acrylic and oil on building
In 2014, Backlot Studios in Western Australia commissioned Fantauzzo to create a mural on site at their theatre.
“I hoped the wall painting of Ledger in his defining role as The Joker would inspire local emerging filmmakers to reach for the heights. I'd been blown away by the vast number of paintings, drawings and other artworks posted online of Ledger as The Joker. That added a little bit of pressure but it made me feel that I was contributing to that community of people being inspired by Heath” – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
Kimbra 2013, The Build Up
Oil on linen
Kimbra is a New Zealand singer who mixes pop with classic R&B, jazz and rock musical elements. Fantauzzo's portrait of Kimbra was a finalist for the 2012 Archibald Prize. The portrait was painted in conjunction with the making of a video featuring Kimbra's song "The Build Up”. Kimbra was featured on the 2012 multiplatinum single "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye. On 10 February 2013, she and Gotye won the Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance awards at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards
Luca 2014, All That’s Good In Me
Oil on linen
Vincent won his fourth consecutive Archibald Peoples’ Choice Award for his portrait of son Luca.
“When you have a child, he becomes a strong influence on your life. Luca is my conscience, passion and my drive. He's a mirror of myself and what I do is what he will become. And what I see him doing influences me “ – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
Matt Moran 2011, Chef/Restaurateur
Oil on Linen
In 2011 Vincent Fantauzzo won the Archibald Packing Room Prize for his painting of the Australian restaurateur Matt Moran.
“Matt is one of the most ambitious people I know and that's very inspiring. He's a machine. He can go out all night, wake up early, go to the gym, then do some work. I don't know where he gets the energy. It makes me think, If he can do it, I can do it. My mission is to do for art what chefs like Matt have done for food. If you asked a kid to name five contemporary Australian artists there's no way they could do it, but they could easily name five chefs” – the artist, Vincent Fantauzzo
Self 2011
Rock Bottom, Oil on linen
A self-portrait completed in New York, this work represents a turning point for the artist in that it preceded the acclaimed 30 Portraits in 30 Days project. After a nasty fall on the pavement, the artist took a photograph as the starting point for the work.
